i made a lot of effort in putting my shopping list before i went to japan last year and i'm quite proud of it. mostly drugstore makeup. lots of eyeliner and mascara, but i'm quite proud for not giving up and buy myself another lip product. i wanted to buy a foundation though, but i didn't browse enough to decide instantly there, so i only bought several face powder. i've used the other one from BCL, and unfortunately the shade is too dark for me so i gave it to my sister. and it left me with canmake powder, so i'm hoping that this might work for me.

this is the description from their website: create the perfect sweet-looking face that's as soft and light as a marshmallow! achieve a matte finish that conceals pores and hides any unevenness in your complexion. a face powder for finishing your foundation and touching up your makeup through the day. handy pressed formulation that's easy to carry in your bag. additive-free mineral formulation that's kind to your skin and can be removed with ordinary facial wash. formulation that prevents wearing off due to shininess, dullness or dryness. contains 10 beautifying agents to prevent skin becoming dry and rough. contains concealing powder that makes pores and unevenness in skin texture much less noticeable. there are 4 shades: matte ochre (MO), matte light ochre (ML), matte pink ochre (MP) and matte beige ochre (MB)

the packaging

the packaging: it comes in plastic box, which i think is covering the prettiness of the compact powder. the color of the box is combination of pink and transparent, so you can see the powder from outside. fortunately they put the shade label at front, although it's only a code (MO/ML/MB/MP), so you must know it beforehand. at the back of the box there's description and instruction and everything is in japanese as usual. the compact itself is pretty. it's shiny gold and has printed lace circling the brand name in front of the compact. when you open it, you can see a mirror inside the top of the compact powder, making it easy to use this powder everywhere. making it easy for travelling. then you get this soft cushy puff with gold band on top of plastic film that covering the powder itself. compared to BCL, the canmake one is slimmer. another plus for bringing it when you're travelling.

back of the box

the pact (ain't that pretty?)

the shade: mine is matte ochre which i believer the lightest shade but still in yellow tone. i think it matches me just fine, but sometimes i wonder if it's a bit too light for me. on its own, it's okay for me. but when i use it on top of my bb cream, somehow i think it makes me look lighter sometimes. oh well..

inside the pact

the silky buttery pressed powder

the product: the powder is soooo soft to touch, just like my previous catrice powder. if i use the puff, it will give more coverage than if i use it with powder brush. obviously there's a little fallout when being used with powder brush, but tapping the brush before using will solve the problem. i also think that the puff picks more powder and retain some of it inside the puff, making it faster to finish.

the puff isn't as fluffy as the other powder pact

the result: being used alone, it doesn't give much coverage. it only evens out the redness on my cheek. it also helps put my sebum at bay. when being used on top of my bb cushion, it works very well in covering my pores, making my skin looks so smooth. the bb cushion will do most the job, so the powder only help toning down the dewiness that bb cushion makes. when being used on top of foundation (which is wet n wild foundation), the foundation itself is already matte, so using the powder on top sometimes will mess with it. it will make the foundation cling onto dry patches and somehow cracks the foundation on my nose after several hours.

it's too light and it matches my skin so you probably can't see it

shade-wise, i'm happy with this powder since it matches me and it gives enough sebum control that i need. put it on top of my bb cushion and i will look almost flawless. my skin will look so smooth, my pores is covered even though i didn't use any primer. i think it will suitable to normal to oily skin, as for dry skin, i think every powder will become your enemy if you're not being cautious. but since this powder is not translucent, you will have to research for swatches. and i have to say it's difficult to find one. luckily, canmake is available on stores at several watsons in indonesia i believe, and perhaps other stores that i'm not aware of, so you might want to swatch it on store. as for the price, in japan it's quite affordable, but here.. it becomes more expensive. if i'm going to repurchase, i will do it when i'm in japan again, not here. but for now, i'm happy as it's worth the hype.

before and after using the powder

clearly you can see that it's not covering scars, but close up i can see it blurs my pores  (unfortunately forget to take pic of my pores)

when i went to japan the second time, i was wiser. i put a good list of items that i wanted to try, or at least a category. and eye makeup product is one of them. eyeliner, eyebrow pencil or liquid, and mascaras.. i knew japan was famous for their eye makeup product. i'm not saying eyeshadow because their taste is different from mine. their eyeshadow is more glittery and shimmery, so i didn't buy any eyeshadow. as for mascara, i bought a bunch. one of the famous brand is dejavu. i didn't know which type to buy, so i grab two. well, three, technically, since the other one is a two mascaras in one pack. turns out i only missed one type of mascara. not bad... so the first one that i try is the lash knockout one, and i think it only comes in one shade, dynamite black.

this is the description from their singapore website: have clump-free and visibly full lashes. a smudge-proof, rub-proof, and smear-resistant film formula that encapsulate each lash while brushing, dejavu lash knockout extra volume mascara dynamite black gives your lashes volume, thickness and body. unique formula to repel oil, sweat, tears, and friction. the smear-resistant, rub-proof, smudge-proof and flake-proof film is a water-based formula that can stay for up to 24 hours. it wraps around every strand of lashes tightly for dark and full lashes without needing to worry about ugly stains, flakes or smudges. easy removal with warm water. upon the touch of warm water, the film formula absorbs moisture and slides off your lashes with a gentle massage, preventing damage to natural lashes and the delicate eye area. fortified with moisturizing ingredients. infused with hydrolyzed silk, pyrus malus fruit extract, honey, panthenol, tocopherol and royal jelly extract, lashes are kept nourished and hair cuticles are moisturized and conditioned. the eyelash film technology coats individual lash in a smooth, clump-free film, volumizing lashes for a "false lash" finish. the glossy formula tapers to a pointed tip making lashes look completely natural.

the packaging

the packaging: it comes in typical mascara packaging, sealed with hard plastic cover and a cardboard backing surround it. but this one is bigger. the loreal one is smaller. a bit bulky if you buy a lot because it doesn't come flat. there's a label at front indicating the type of mascara, the picture of the mascara wand and a color label, which is black for this mascara. there's, of course, a sticker of that famous cosme rating, indicating this mascara is the number one on their list. the rest at the back is in japanese.

the back side

the color: i know the website says that this is dynamite black. it's black alright, but compared to isehan kiss me heroine mascara, this is less pigmented. the heroine one is super black, while this is just ordinary black. it's fine by me, but if you like super black mascara, then you might not like this one.

the chubby tube

the product: the mascara comes in a chubby hot pink tube. chubby like maybelline mascaras. the brush on the wand is big for my taste, but very bushy. but it's also slightly curved, just what i like from my mascara's wand. this mascara doesn't contain fiber though.

the wand

the result: i was surprised seeing the big brush. i thought this might clump all my lashes when i try to coat all my lashes. turns out it works really well, it can reach all my lashes and then coat almost all of them without clumping it. it surely does lengthen my lashes, but it can't curling my lashes. i have to curl it beforehand. as for volume, i don't seem to get the volumizing effect as promised, but i'm trying to find techniques to use this mascara better. i like this mascara for daily use because it gives more natural result than heroine one. plus it doesn't give me pain removing this mascara. i've used this mascara for about 5-6 hours today (that's quite a long day for me) and it doesn't smudge even though it's not waterproof.

curvy wand

honestly, i'm very happy with this mascara. it's very suitable for daily use, it looks natural and cleaning it is easy. it holds well, doesn't smudge even on my oily lids. and the brush is really helpful in coating my lashes without clumping it together. really.. no clumping.. i still get clumps with heroine one, haven't found nice trick to use that mascara neither. all i need to do is finding the right trick to get the volumizing effect. will i repurchase? well.. i still have about 3 or 4 unused mascara in my stash, but this is definitely in my repurchase list.

right eye: notice that it does lengthen my lashes but not as much as isehan kiss me heroine and not as black either

left eye: again, same lengthening effect (sorry for the blurry pic.. i took it in a rush)

i bet most of you must have heard about this mascara when you browsed about asian mascara. i found this mascara in almost everyone must-buy list when they visit japan. when it comes to mascara, i'm constantly changing my mascara. i liked some better than the other, and i've tried different brands too. mostly western brands because that's the one that i can get my hands on. but since i was travelling to japan, i decided to try some of them. so far, my favorites were from maybelline and loreal butterfly one, which has similar bristles to my latest favorite, maybelline lash sensational mascara. there are two types of this mascara, the long and curl and the other one is volume and curl. luckily they put the picture of the wand when you browsed about them, and somehow i always like the curvy type wand than the straight one, so i bought the long and curl one.

this is the description from cosme website: this mascara elongates lashes and creates a beautiful look that lasts as long as you want. the formula contains instant lock ingredients and shape memory polymer, which keep the lashes lifted and separated all day long. it features a waterproof and oil proof formula to prevent smudging and fiber fall-out throughout the day.

the packaging

back of the cardboard backing

the packaging: it comes in toothbrush packaging, with cardboard backing and hard plastic cover. everything is in japanese, so make sure you get the one that has comic girl face at front as well as that famous cosme ranking sticker at front. at the bottom right you can see the type of wand inside. the long and curl has that curvy wand, while the volume and curl have that straight but bushy wand. at the back there's mose description but everything is in japanese, so i don't understand anything. and i'm too lazy to google translate it.

the tube

the color: i don't know if they have other shade, but mine comes in a very black one. compared to my previous lash sensational mascara, this one is more black.

the wand

the product: the mascara tube is straight cylindrical one, mine is still the purplish black with silver text on it. since it's quite skinny, it's travel friendly since it's not bulky so it doesn't take much space in your pouch. the wand is also skinny, with curvy wand. the bristles is short and somehow placed in helical shape. i believe this mascara contains fiber since when i take close look at the wand, i can see tiny fibers sticking on the bristles, similar to etude house lash fixer. although when i try to swatch it, it doesn't show as visible as etude one. the formula is wet compared to lash sensational, but not too wet like etude 3 step mascara. i honestly don't like the wet formula since usually it will make the mascara to dry down longer. i have to be careful when i blink or it will smudge to my eyelid.

the wand and bristles

wanted to capture the helical shape of the wand

the result: i can definitely see that it lengthen my eyelashes. but i have to be careful in applying the mascara. since the formula is wet, if i layer the mascara too quickly, it will clump and give me spidery result. as for the curling effect, i can definitely say that it's not working. i have to curl my eyelash well before using this mascara or it will weigh my eyelashes down. but after it's set and dry, the mascara will stay until you remove it. no smudging, no flaking, and no transferring either.

the color

okay, i have torn impression about this mascara, so let's start with the one that please me. it comes in skinny tube so it's travel friendly, and it has this curvy wand that i like. it has fiber too so it can help lengthening my eyelash. and it holds well. i've used this mascara for about 8-9 hours and it hold well. it doesn't smudge, it doesn't transfer, and it doesn't flake off. and the color is super black which is nice for that special occasion. but i don't like that it has wet formula which make it takes longer to dry down, and it can clump easily too if i'm not careful with it. and it weighs down my eyelash if i didn't curl it beforehand. and the last thing that i don't like is since it's quite long wearing, removing it is also difficult. i'm not saying that you only can remove it with the mascara remover that they have as well, but you have to use separate eye makeup remover then proceed with cleansing oil and foam to completely wash it off. that's why i don't like this mascara for daily wear. i only use this mascara on special occasion, when i have to put on makeup for a long day. or sundays when i have longer time to put on makeup. price wise, this is slightly more expensive than maybelline mascara. but just slightly. will i repurchase? i don't think so since i still have lots of mascara in my stash. but i do recommend this stuff. it's certainly worth the number 1 cosme ranking. definitely grab it when you see it.

before after on my lashes definitely lengthen my eyelashes

when we were in japan last year, i didn't bring my body butter, and i had to pay the price. we brought our kids along, and bringing three kids under 5 means a lot of washing, both dishes and clothes, so my hands have been in contact a lot with detergent. i brought the baby safe one, the one without SLS, but still, my hands are super dry and i got cuts around my cuticles. i bought nivea body cream but it didn't help much, so i decided to grab DHC hand cream when i saw it without knowing anything about it. since i only got a few days testing it the first time, i will put my conclusion in both situation.

this is the description from rakuten global website: rich moisture veil hands gently wrap the fingertips until moist and supple. in addition to the protective ingredients, such as olive virgin oil, aloe, liquorice derivatives, vitamin e, medicinal ingredients compounded. hand cream version of the popular lip! feeling rather than just moisturizing and stretching, not sticky. colorant, fragrance, paraben-free and natural ingredients.

the packaging: i completely forgot the original sealing of the product because i've ripped it off when i was in japan. so by the time i had time to take picture, the product had no sealing whatsoever. fortunately, nothing is spilled during the travel back. the tube itself is made of peach plastic, and has regular flip top. at the back, the description is all in japanese.

the tube

the scent: ugh.. i can't stand the smell. it doesn't smell bad, but it doesn't have fragrance in it, so i can smell the medicated part clearly. i usually put my hand cream last thing before i head to bed, so i like it slightly fragrance, subtle floral scent won't hurt. or sweet fruity scent. for sensitive noses, this might be a good thing for you.

back of the tube

the product: the cream is pretty thick. the first time i dug it out from my stash i had to push it really hard to get the cream out. the cream is yellow, but i think it's from the ingredients because it's stated that it's colorant free. the size is big too. my usual hand cream is 30 g, while this one is 60g.

opening of the tube

the result: this cream is definitely moisturizing. when i was in japan, using this cream for several days quickly heal my hands. i didn't get any more cuts since i used this hand cream. back home, the weather isn't as harsh as in japan. but i sleep with AC on every day. lately, i've been using this on my cracked heels as well and using it for 3 days, i can start seeing the improvement.

hand cream on my hand

i definitely recommend this hand cream if you're suffering from severe dry skin. i'd like to repurchase this if only it has better scent. i've been mixing it with a drop of my lavender essential oil before i put it on my hands and heels, that helps solving the scent problem. and i think this hand cream will last forever since i only need a little for both my hands and heels.

after blending it in

i believe this is the last face wash that i bought from my last trip to japan. right in time, if i may say, because i'm going to japan in a month! yay! i'm hoping we could see some cherry blossoms, but the forecast said that we might be too late. oh well, hopefully it will be a great vacation for my parents since this will be their first time going to japan. they have been wondering why we like to go to japan, hopefully they will find out the reason.

this is the description from rakuten website: age defying skin! white mud's magic anti-aging powers! the magical cleansing powers of mud. white mud cleansing paste for gorgeous glowing skin. minute particles of white mud have mild cleansing effects which absorb and remove dead skin and grime hiding in pores that can result in a dull complexion. helps speed up cell turnover. infused with hyaluronic acid and marine collagen for moisturized, firm, plump skin. fortified with hyaluronic acid to moisturize and marine collagen to firm. thick, rich bubbles thanks to trehalose-derived cleansing agents. fragrance-free, no artificial color.

the initial packaging (it has plastic covering the tube and the sticker on top)

the packaging: it comes in a pink plastic tube with black flip top. they only seal the outer tube with plastic sealing. nothing on the inside, no sealing on the inner opening of the tube. the tube is color coordinated according to the type, the white mud lifting is the pink one. but you can also read the type at the front. on my tube it's written "hakkudei lift". at the back there's a lot of description but everything is in japanese.

the tube

the back of the tube

the scent: it's scentless as usual, but at first it might smell a little bad, like the smell of your clothes that's not completely dried and then you fold it before it's dried completely. but the smell is gone after a few use.

nothing on the opening

the product: just like the name, it's a cleansing paste. the consistency is really similar to creamy toothpaste. it's very dense and creamy. it foams up nicely and lately i just found out that if you use foaming net, it will bubble a lot. but i don't have a net and i don't mind with the bubble that i get. what i don't like is, since it's quite thick, when i'm almost finish with it, i'm getting trouble squeezing the product out because it will stuck. so i have to tap the tube really hard before squeezing it out.

the product on my hand

the result: just like other japanese face wash/foam that i've tried, they are all cleansing my face well, but unfortunately, they make my skin squeaky clean. most of them are drying to my face. this one is drying too. and i have no idea about the "lifting" effect.

bubbling up

honestly, i can't notice any difference between this one and the brightening one. both works well in cleansing my face and both are also drying for my skin. even though this one is labelled as hydrating, but there's no hydrating effect. fortunately, it doesn't break my skin out. as speeding up cell turnover, i can't say because i'm also using lactic acid, so i believe the lactic acid is stronger than just a facial wash. i can't recommend this face wash to anyone, because it's drying. but if you have tough skin like me, you can try it since it's affordable. definitely not recommending it to dry skin or mature skin, but for super oily skin, this might work okay for you. again, i don't see any difference between the two variants so i don't think i will repurchase any variants on my next visit to japan.

i've been neglecting my face lately. i still use my usual skincare regime, but i'm not using any sheet mask or moisturizing wash off mask in ages, and i'm starting to see that my skin is suffering. i'm getting breakouts here and there, not because i'm testing something new or not cleansing my face properly. so i decided to grab this mask from my stash and use it. this pack will force me to use sheet mask once each day, so i think it's a good choice. unfortunately, my kids decided to get sick and being restless when i'm supposed to working out and then cleanse my face and put the mask on. so, i can't use it for 7 days straight, but at least i'm trying.

this is the description from kose cosmeport website: brings resilient baby-like skin with carefully selected formula intended for users in their 20s. control of the acne-prone, easily changing condition of the skin is the first step to baby-like skin. safe delivery of hydration deep into your skin, with daily care. the white one is the lush translucent type. formula with vitamin c derivative, strawberry geranium extract, hyaluronic acid, amino acid, glycerin (moisturizer).

the packaging: just like the pink one, this comes in a white zip bag where all 7 masks are cramped inside. since this is the white one, the sachet is also white. but the rest is similar to the pink one. it has that chubby baby picture at front and a bunch of description and instruction at the back, all in japanese. again, this might not the best packaging considering you have to dip your hand to grab one mask while the other 6 are still inside, but some people will argue that it's more environmental-friendly.

the scent: it has same scent as the pink one, subtle floral baby powder-ish scent.

the packaging

the product: the fit is similar to the pink one too. it has decent eye holes, useless lower eye flaps and a big mouth holes. too many slits for my liking, but i can managed. the mask is made of thin cotton, soft and not stretchy, adheres well to my face. it doesn't have any pattern, but since i has more slit, it make my skin wrinkly hydrated (if that make sense to you). the essence is clear runny essence, slightly more viscous than water but still watery. although i've flipped it upside down a couple times every time before getting the mask out from the pouch, there's still some essence left, but not enough to soak a tablet mask.

the result: for one time use, it's only hydrating but just a little bit. since this is a mask that's intended to use daily, it doesn't pack a lot of hydration, unlike the usual korean mask. and don't try to compare it to taiwanese masks, because on one time use, this is nowhere near them. i know i don't use them for 7 days straight, but after finishing several days in a row, i'm getting that hydration enough to calm my face. a bit brightening but if i have to be honest, the brightness is temporary. there are other mask that give longer brightening effect on me.

left: before middle: mask on right: after 7 days (i forgot to take picture on single use)

i have to say as daily mask, it will work okay, especially if you have super oily skin or combination skin and don't like heavy-duty mask. but for dry skin and those who like taiwanese masks, then you probably won't like this one. if you're beginner or lazy masker like me, then the idea of having to mask 7 days in a row will either frighten you or excite you. as for the difference with the pink one, the white one is supposed for brightening, but i don't notice significant difference with the pink one. so if you're going to grab one, doesn't matter which one, just grab them if you want because it's super affordable.

when my brother was back home last christmas, i asked him to buy me some ordinary products. unfortunately, some of the items that i want were sold out, so i only managed to get 3, the granactive retinoid (which i haven't tried), the ascorbyl glucoside (tried and reviewed here), and the lactic acid 5%. i almost finish the lactic acid and i will proceed to retinoid before deciding which one is better for me. i don't think i will need them both for now, so i will get just one of them if i ever decided to repurchase. so let's see about this one.

this is the description from their website: lactic acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid that exfoliates the skin. this 5% formulation offers very mild exfoliation and is supported with purified tasmanian pepperberry known to reduce signs of inflammation and sensitivity that is often associated with exfoliation. this formula contains a studied tasmanian pepperberry derivative to help reduce irritation associated with acid use. this derivative of plant origin and varies in colour seasonally and this color variation may apparent in the formula from time to time.

the box

ingredients list

the packaging: just like all products from the ordinary, it comes in ordinary white box, there's description at the box in english as well as the ingredients list. the packaging is very simple, really hand in hand with the brand name, ordinary. the ingredients list is short as well, considering the brand philosophy is using the key ingredients as the main stuff, without other gimmicky ingredients. the bottle itself is made of glass with dropper on top. honestly, i don't like glass bottles since i have very active and curious toddlers, so glass bottles are not my preference right now. the dropper is a plus for me since it's easier to dispose the product on my face. usually i will put a drop on certain area then blend it in with my finger. but the downside is the dropper can't reach the bottom of the bottle, so when it's almost finish, i probably have to turn the bottle upside down so i can get the product easier without the dropper.

the other side of the box

the bottle

the scent: i've tried another AHA product from cosrx before this one, and both smells awful. it has that foul scent but both are subtle and only linger for a minute or two. it doesn't annoy me, but it might annoy someone, so you might want to put that in mind.

the dropper

the product: it's a pale yellow serum, slightly more viscous than liquid, but a bit watery than the ascorbyl serum. i usually put a drop on each areas on my face then massage it with my finger. i use it after cleansing my face, before putting anything else. it takes a while to be absorbed and it leaves slightly sticky feeling, perhaps because of the added hyaluronic acid. but it layers well under everything else. although sometimes i feel that it might balls up, but it doesn't.

the serum inside the dropper

the result: this is an exfoliating serum, but it's very mild indeed. i start using this once a week before increasing the frequency up to almost everyday. i skip this when i use exfoliating mask or clay mask. so far i don't notice any sign of over exfoliation. at first i don't see any effect on my face. then when i upped it up to every other day, i notice that my face is a bit brightened than when i'm not using it. like all the dead layers is scrubbed off from my face. i can definitely see my forehead is super smooth, no fine lines whatsoever. but i don't see any improvement in my skin texture around my cheek and chin, where i sometimes have closed comedones.

the serum on my hand

it takes awhile to be absorbed

so honestly i'm not too happy with the result. i was hoping this will smooth my cheeks and chin texture since that's the areas where i have texture problem. but i'm glad this one doesn't give me breakout or purging, unlike the cosrx one. but if you only have problem with skin texture aka fine lines, then this one is perfect for you. it won't irritate your skin and probably even add a bit hydration thanks to the added hyaluronic acid in it. if you're familiar with acid, then the 5% might be too mild for you. as for me, i will try the retinoid before deciding which one to repurchase or not.

i was running out of my daiso serum and i realized i didn't have any serum or essence in my stash. so i was searching for a new one. i wanted to order the ordinary buffet serum but it was sold out when my brother was back here, so i couldn't ask him to buy one for me. i also wanted to try niacinamide but it was also sold out. then i saw this serum on my usual online shop's page. i read more about it and became curious. it's sworn by jun ji hyun who definitely has great skin, plus i was curious about their saying about "screaming serum" so i bought one and it arrived just in time. so let's see about this one, whether or not it lives up to the hype.

the description from stylekorean website: this beauty must-have is famously known as jun ji hyun's serum after it was revealed to be her go to skin care product. it's now fondly called the "damn serum" due to the tingling sensation it creates when applied onto damaged, oxidized skin - the greater the damage, the more it tingles. over time, this diminishes as your skin heals. this anti-oxidant enriched serum enhances elasticity, prevents premature wrinkling, balances oil and moisture and tones. it also helps relax the skin by using aloe vera in place of purified water and vegetable components instead of synthetic preservatives. recommended for those with the following concerns: those with enlarged, disnted pores, suffer from fine wrinkles, with numerous skin concerns, whose skin dries out quickly, with rough skin.

the box

the other side of the box

the packaging: it comes in a white/yellow box, at the box there's description in korean. fortunately, the ingredients list is written in english. the bottle itself is made of glass with dropper on top. i don't like another glass bottle in my vanity, but what can i do? the bottle is completely transparent so you can see the remaining product inside. there's another description printed on the bottle.

the ingredients list

the scent: when i first open the bottle, i can smell herbal medicine scent from this serum, but not too bitter and clearly not as strong as sulwhasoo's. but it doesn't have that ginger scent like sulwhasoo although it's made of various extracts.

the bottle

you can see the oil layer separated from the serum layer below

the product: you can definitely two layers inside the bottle, both are yellow gold in color. on top is the oil layer, so you have to shake the bottle well before using the dropper to get the product out. when i pour it on my palm, i can see yellow liquid with tiny golden oil droplet. the serum is very liquidy so i have difficulty dropping it directly to my face. it will drip down my face before i have the chance to drop the serum all over my face, so i change the method to pour it to my palms and quickly rub and massage it to my face.

the serum in the dropper after shaking it well

the result: definitely give some sticky feeling and glowy trace thanks to the oil. it does take quite some time to be absorbed. i've tried this serum several ways. when i first used this, i still have my ordinary vitamin c. both has oily feeling after being applied, so no matter which one i put first, they both doesn't seem to layer well, so i use this serum in the afternoon after taking a bath and then use the ordinary serum at night. and it works well. i don't have problem with products don't get absorbed. now that i've finished my ordinary vit c, i switch back to melano cc which i use as spot treatment. both also has oily finish, but i think it layers well. now to the "screaming serum" claims... honestly, at first i don't feel anything. not even when i have acnes on my cheek. even when i pop the acne, i have nasty scar on my cheek, but nothing.. no tingling sensation whatsoever. but lately, i've been playing with makeup at night, to get the swatches' pictures taken and stuff, and i use makeup wipes to clean my face between swatches, and somehow the alcohol content in it irritates my skin. and when i use my night regimen, both my lactic acid serum and this serum gives me that tingling sensation that i've never experienced before. did it hurt? no. it only tingling for a few seconds, and i only feel it for about one or two times. now, they say that it's recommended for people with enlarged pores and rough skin, definitely fits my husband. unfortunately, he refused to use it regularly, so i can't report any progress on him. but on his first try, he could feel the tingling sensation on both his cheeks.

serum on my hand (notice how watery it is!)

after blending it in

so far i can only see that it moisturizes my skin well. it doesn't help in preventing acne. can't say about anti-wrinkle because i also use another product that target fine lines too. as for brightening, can't say anything because i also use vitamin c serum plus i'm already pale to begin with. skin trouble.. if it's meant acne, then it doesn't help much. i've been using half the bottle and i don't see anything much, so for me it doesn't worth the hype. i will comparing this serum to the ordinary buffet serum that i will use next since i think both are similar. will update you on that.